Weak Link
by Destiny Cale
Summary: In a race to reach the treasure first, Riley strives to prove that he is an equal and valuable member of the team.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is my very first fanfiction! I hope you enjoy reading it and feel free to leave comments and reviews. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Disclaimer: I love National Treasure, but sadly I don't own it. All of the characters are owned by Disney, and all credit goes to Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer, etc.

Chapter 1

His fingers flew effortlessly across the keyboard, the glow of his laptop illuminating the small, cramped space. The quiet was only broken by the steady tapping of his foot as Green Day blasted in his ears. He was in his own world. Sure, infiltrating mainframes and hacking security systems proved to be commonplace to him now, but with it always came a thrill, a sense of adventure.

His name was Riley Poole and he was a treasure protector.

"Riley!"

Started, Riley yanked out his earbuds and grabbed the forgotten headset on the shelf beside him. Slipping them on, he scrambled to keep his laptop from crashing to the floor. "Yeah, I'm here."

"Are we ready?"

Two more keystrokes and the security footage playing down the hall was forced into a loop. Now all the monitors showed were empty corridors and hallways. No one would know what they were up to.

Next was the security system and alarms. Lines of code flooded the screen. Riley was in his element. Quickly tunneling under the firewalls and breaking through the safeguards, he was almost halfway there in less than two minutes.

"Riley?"

Eyes fixed on the screen, Riley grinned. "Patience Ben, you can't rush genius."

Benjamin Gates. He was a very interesting man. Maybe that was why he had followed him on so many adventures, on so many dangerous expeditions. Riley had been in college when they first met. Ben was a guest speaker who had been giving a lecture on the Founding Fathers. Soon however, the topic shifted, taking on a more exciting tone. While most of the class had either dosed off or engaged in quiet side conversations, Riley had all of his attention on the front of the room. He was fascinated by the stories the man was telling. He could tell that Ben genuinely believed in the myths by the way he spun the tales with such conviction and wonder. History might not have been his forte, but he had felt some sort of connection, a hunger to be part of it all. Not long after, Ben and Riley started down the road to becoming best friends.

He was once again jarred to reality, this time by a female voice.

"Oh my god, we're going to get caught at this rate! Riley, please spare us the suspense."

"Well, since you said please…"

Abigail Chase was a strong-willed and stubborn woman. Riley wouldn't call her 'drop-dead gorgeous,' but she was pretty. When the three of them first met, she had thought that he and Ben were both out of their minds, and rightly so! After all, they had kidnapped her in the process of looking for an invisible map on the back of a national document. But hey, that was just another night for them, and soon, it was for her, too.

Finally the sensors were offline and all the gated off sectors and access points were unlocked.

_Game on_

"Alright Ben," People probably wondered why he went along for the ride, why he was always risking his life and freedom for the far-fetched fantasies of one man. The answer was simple. Riley owed Ben everything. If not for the brave historian, Riley would most likely be forgotten in some cubical at some company where the closest thing to excitement would be the restocking of the vending machines. Instead, he found himself in a cramped storage closet helping his friends break into a museum at two-thirty in the morning. And he was enjoying every second of it. "You've got the green light."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ben and Abigail slipped into the building through one of the side entrances. Pulling out their flashlights, they kept the beams on the floor only a few feet ahead so they wouldn't attract anyone's attention. Having mapped out the museum the day before, they quickly and quietly made their way down the dark hallways. With the occasional heads up from Riley, they managed to avoid the patrolling guards. During the discreet questioning of yesterdays unsuspecting floor staff, Abigail had discovered that what they were searching for was being stored away in the basement.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_Abigail walked across the parking lot behind the National Achieves building. After a long day, she was on her way to her car when she overheard two of her coworkers talking._

_"Hey, did you hear? Apparently that shipment of artifacts was almost hijacked last night. You know, the one coming up from South America."_

_"Again?! That's the second time! What's the big deal anyway? I heard it's just a bunch of junk and old books."_

_"Man, I don't know. Desperate times sure bring out the nutjobs huh?"_

_"Probably, but I'll tell you one thing. If it was all solid gold, then I'd guarantee that the two of us would be out there too!" Both men laughed as they walked to their vehicles._

_Abigail stood, key in hand. She too had read about the first hijacking attempt a few days ago, but hadn't given it much thought. All she knew was that some artifacts were going to be displayed at a museum in southern Washington D.C. Now she was curious._

_When she got home, the first thing Abigail did was hop on her computer in search of the article. Skimming the results, she didn't have to look far; she didn't even have to leave the front page. The link was the third from the top. She found that the article didn't give much information on the crime itself or the perpetrators, but it did give some background on the cargo._

_An early 19th century explorer by the name of Christopher Isaac had traveled down to South America to survey the exotic landscape. He travelled with seven other men and lived in the foreign forests for months. Legends claimed that his group had made contact with a native tribe. After becoming allies, Isaac and his men basked in their riches. Of course no one knew the truth because they were never seen or heard from again._

_Just as she finished reading the article, Abigail's cell phone rang. Looking down, she recognized Ben's number. She immediately answered and told Ben what she had found._

_Once Abigail finished, Ben agreed that it could be something worth looking into. After making a quick call to Riley, the three of them stayed up all night formulating a plan. _

_**END FLASHBACK**_

Ghosting through a door at the end of the east wing, Ben and Abigail ignored the 'off limits' sign as they came upon an unlit flight of stairs.

"You know, we could just wait until it's put on display," Abigail remarked. "I know we can't risk giving whoever was trying to steal it another chance, but the place is already on high alert. There has to be an easier way that wouldn't result in a possible felony. Something more…"

"Legal?" Ben couldn't hold back a smirk. "Now, where would be the fun in that?"

* * *

Riley watched as Abigail and Ben advanced out of the camera's view and ventured deeper and deeper into the basement. His eyes then turned to scan the other camera feeds.

Movement on Camera 12 caught his attention. A security guard was making his rounds down a corridor.

_Camera 12? Wait…_

He was immediately drawn to the sound of approaching footsteps. Camera 12 was in his hallway! Riley scrambled to shut his laptop without making a sound. He reflexively pushed himself as far back into the closet as possible. Seconds later, the footsteps paused and a light was shown through the crack underneath the door. Holding his breath, Riley was sure that the guard could hear his heart threatening to break through his ribcage. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the light disappeared and the footsteps continued down the hall until they disappeared.

Once he was sure that he wasn't going to keel over from a heart attack, Riley sighed and reopened his laptop. He almost wished he was down in the basement with Ben.

Riley's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the flashing screen.

"Uh oh."

* * *

Reaching the foot of the stairs, Ben and Abigail were faced with a maze of crates and boxes. After sharing a look, Abigail took the right side of the room while Ben took the left.

Not ten minutes into their search, Ben heard Abigail call, "I think I found something! Over here!"

Rushing to her side, he came to a halt in front of a large wooden crate. By the looks of it, the crate was new. There was no layer of dust covering it like the others and it was placed closer to the entrance.

Retrieving a crowbar from his bag, Ben quickly pried open the lid, careful to do as little damage as possible and leave no evidence of them being there.

Once the lid had been removed, they began to rummage through the contents. At first glance, the items didn't seem to be that important, but someone had gone to pretty serious lengths to get their hands on something. The crate contained rusted pots and pans, worn clothes and bedding, tattered maps, compasses and old navigation equipment, and other travel necessities. Ben and Abigail were more so focused on the books. Most of them were full of more maps and traveling guides, but it was amongst a small collection of story books that Ben found a journal.

Opening the cover, he motioned for Abigail to shine her flashlight onto the first page. Although the writing was faded and slightly smudged, they could just make out the words.

Christopher Isaac

Excited smiles spread across their faces. Something told Ben that the information they were looking for was hiding somewhere in its pages. Their moment of joy was interrupted by the sudden flashing of lights and shrieking of alarms.

Sounding slightly panicked, Riley's voice came through their radios.

"Uh, guys? We have a problem."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The alarms wailed as Ben and Abigail rushed to replace the container lid.

"Riley, what the hell's going on?!" Ben shouted. Having no other choice, he stored the journal safely away in his backpack. They had only just opened the front cover before the alarms sounded. They would have to take it with them to read later. Turning to leave, the pair froze when footsteps began to thunder from further up the stairwell.

"I don't know what happened! Someone hacked me and turned all of the security protocols back on," Riley informed him. "I'm trying to stall but you two have to go NOW. The way you came is already swarming with guards. Hold on. I don't have eyes down there so give me a sec to pull up the building schematics."

As the sound of shouting grew closer, Ben pulled Abigail back towards the maze. Hiding behind a tall pile of wooden containers, they watched as security started to flood the front of the room.

"Anytime Riley!" she whispered.

Pulling up the files, Riley's eyes quickly scanned the basement for a second exit. _Come on, come on, there should be…there!_ "Okay, make your way to the back of the room. There should be a ventilation duct about thirty feet to your right."

Following his directions, Ben and Abigail weaved their way through the endless crates and boxes. They could hear orders being given out to search every corner of the basement. Taking multiple twists and turns between the towering stacks of boxes, Abigail prayed that they didn't get turned around. If they ended up running into a group of guards, something told her that they wouldn't be able simply talking their way out of that one.

Coming across the back wall, their eyes frantically searched for the vent. Abigail was the first to spot it. "There!"

Ben followed her gaze. The vent was exactly where Riley said it would be, however he failed to mention one slight detail. The vent was a good ten feet off the ground.

Tossing her the crowbar, Ben moved underneath the vent and took a knee. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "Ladies first."

Abigail didn't hesitate. She hopped onto his shoulders and Ben quickly hoisted her up so that she was directly in front of the panel. With the yelling of the guards and the high-pitched screeching of the alarms, Abigail didn't bother keeping quiet. The clang of the crowbar being forced between the panel and the wall and the creak of it being pried free were both easily drowned out by the surrounding chaos. Once the cover was out of the way, she threw it into the small space along with the crowbar. Climbing in, Abigail turned around and reached down as Ben passed up their bags. She then scooted away from the opening as he took a few paces back. Ben could practically feel the vibrations as the sound of heavy boots echoed, getting louder and louder as they closed in on his location. They were running out of time!

Charging forward, Ben launched himself upwards. His fingers barely made it over the opening's edge, but with Abigail's help he managed to pull himself up and they quickly replaced the vent cover. It snapped into place just as the guards broke past the last row of crates.

"Ben? You guys okay?" Riley's voice cracked over their radios. Unfortunately, in the confined space the sound bounced off the walls and amplified.

Quickly turning down the volume, they peeked down at the security personnel below. Thankfully, they were too caught up in the commotion to notice. The guards were all wondering around, confusion evident in their faces. A man pushed his way to the middle of the room. The man, who they guessed was in charge, barked out orders, clearly frustrated.

"Everyone listen up! Half of you stay here and search every inch of this room. That includes the storage containers. The rest of you are coming with me. We're going to check this place floor by floor. I want whoever broke in found, you hear me?! People don't just up and disappear you know!"

Ben and Abigail chuckled quietly as the man lead a large group back towards the entrance. They could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. "Yeah, we're fine Riley. What's next?"

Riley continued to guide them through the ventilation system.

Finally making it to the end, Ben kicked out the panel. After he crawled out, Abigail pushed their gear out first before following suit. They now stood in a dark alleyway on the west side of the building. Checking his watch, Ben was shocked to see that it had taken them a little over five minutes to make their way up from the basement.

"Riley, where are you?" he asked as he helped Abigail to her feet.

"I'm just finishing packing up. You guys should get out of here before someone sees you. I'll meet you at the car." Riley replied.

"Riley…"

"Don't worry Ben. I have an exit strategy of my own," he assured him.

"Just be careful."

"When am I not?"

Before Ben could say anymore, the connection was lost. He couldn't quite explain it, but he was getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Ben!"

Abigail's urgent voice broke him out of his musings. The sound of police sirens blared in the distance.

Grabbing his bag and hauling it over his shoulder, Ben gave the building one last look before following Abigail down the alley.

_Hurry Riley _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Having cut all communications with his friends, Riley pulled off his headset and shut his laptop. Sliding both into his backpack, he stood, popped the tight joints in his neck, cracked his back, and zipped up his jumpsuit. Riley then lowered his bag into the large trashcan to his left before placing it onto the nearby cleaning cart.

All packed and ready to go, Riley pushed the cart out of the storage closet and into the empty hallway. The alarms had finally stopped sounding and the corridor was laced in an eerie silence. Frowning slightly at the small squeak in the front right wheel, he pulled on a dark blue cap to match his navy blue janitorial uniform. The role of the innocent, underpaid janitor may have been one of the most cliché disguises ever, but Riley had always wanted to try it out for himself. He had seen enough movies to know how it was done.

Pulling the cap down further to cover his eyes, Riley preceded down the hall. All he had to do was make it to the staff lounge located in the northeast corner of the building. From there, he just needed to slip out the back door employees used when they needed a smoke and he would be home free.

"Hey, you!"

Riley tensed as a pair of lights fell upon him from behind. Of course the universe insisted on making things, generally his life, difficult. There was nowhere to run and hiding was obviously no longer an option, so he took a deep breath and turned to face the two men approaching him.

The guard on the left looked like it was his first week on the job. His fingers twitched anxiously and his eyes were full of apprehension as they jerkily inspected Riley. His partner, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The man on the right looked to be in his late forties with salt and pepper hair and a calm and relaxed demeanor.

"What are you doing here?" the younger man asked sharply. "The museum closed hours ago."

Riley almost winced at the aggression in his voice, but forced himself to stand his ground.

"Oh, I'm just cleaning up," he replied indifferently, motioning lazily down his uniform. "Kind of fits the job description, don't you think?"

"This late?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. The man may have been new to the job, but he wasn't born yesterday. He wasn't going to make this easy.

Thinking fast, Riley used the first excuse that popped into his head. "The in-laws are in town. More specifically, they're staying at my place, so excuse me for trying to keep out of the battlefield."

The younger man opened his mouth to reply, but his partner beat him to it.

"I completely understand where you're coming from," he laughed. "I just went to a family reunion last month with my wife. We barely made it back in one piece."

Riley continued to play along. "My father-in-law isn't all that bad. He tells a lot of great stories and we get along really well. He's kind of like an older brother to me. Now it's my mother-in-law you have to watch out for. When she's in the room, it's a completely different ballgame. She's crazy! The old lady just won't give me a break, always nagging and finding something wrong with everything I do. The fact that I work part-time as a janitor doesn't help much either. She'll go on and on about how I'll never be able to properly support her daughter. Snobby old bag, I swear! She's even got my fiancé on her side! Man, I don't even want to go into it." Words couldn't express how relieved Riley was that his radio was off and he wasn't wearing an earwig.

The man's face suddenly turned thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before."

"Yeah, I'm new. I just started last week." Riley hastily changed the subject. "What happened anyway? I heard the alarms go off. Was it a false alarm or something?"

"Looks like it. With that new shipment in we were on high alert, but we searched this place top to bottom and came up with nothing. It was probably just some neighborhood kids looking for trouble."

"But we'll still need to see your ID," the younger man cut in, trying to ignore the glare his partner sent his way.

"Yeah, sure." Pulling it out, Riley purposefully handed it to the senior guard, who gave it a quick onceover before returning it. He had to admit, the fake identification card he was equipped with looked pretty convincing for a rush job.

"Looks legit. We better head back down to the basement before the chief blows his top. In the meantime, why don't you go home and get some sleep. You look like a good kid, just remember not to let those women get to you. It's my understanding that they tend to hunt in groups and feed off of male weakness. If you ever need anything, look me up," the man said with a smile. He then turned and led the way as the two men melted back into the darkness.

Riley could tell that the offer was truly sincere. He just couldn't figure out why he would make it to a complete stranger. The man seemed like a very good person. It really warmed his heart, but at the same time he felt slightly guilty for lying straight to his face. Though he couldn't quite place it, there had been a certain tone in the man's voice. It was masked behind the bright smile and carefree laugh. Joy? No, that couldn't be it. As far as Riley knew, this had been their first meeting. Maybe he had just imagined it.

Letting the matter drop, Riley took a moment to let all the tension leave his body before continuing towards the lounge. As it turned out, the room had been right around the corner. Scanning his all access security card, Riley pushed open the door and made his way to the back, the bright red exit sign the only light illuminating the room. Riley bent down to retrieve his bag from the cart.

_Click_

Riley froze. The small metallic sound was unmistakable, the safety being released on a gun. Warning bells screamed in Riley's head. All he could think about was a way to talking his way out of this. However, it was the dark, menacing voice that followed that sent shivers down his spine.

"Hello, Mr. Poole."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The absence of sound in the room was suffocating. Riley's train of thought immediately derailed. He couldn't seem to string one simple thought together. Lost in a thick, impenetrable fog, Riley's mind was frozen. All cohesive ideas and coherent notions slipped through his fingers and lingered just beyond his grasp. Panic threatened to consume him as he reminded himself how to breathe, only acutely aware of the cold sweat trickling down his back. Rigid and stiff, his body felt numb. Riley was shutting down.

_Get a grip!_ Riley's brain was just like a computer. If too many programs were running at once, it would slow and freeze up. All he had to do was restart; cool down and go back to the beginning. Focusing on his heart rate and breathing, Riley grinned with relief as sensation slowly began to return, starting from his feet all the way up to his head.

Having calmed down, Riley closed his eyes. Forcing his back to straighten, he let his mind race. At first, he had thought the voice belonged to another security guard or that the pair he just encountered had doubled back, seen him enter the staff lounge, and called for backup. Both ideas had gone out the window the minute the stranger had addressed him by his name. _He knows my name…_ Next, Riley hadn't heard the man enter. If the man had followed, the lock on the door would have given the same shrill beep and click it had after Riley had scanned his access card, which only left one option; that the man had been there first.

The only staff left in the building this late was security, and none of them knew his true identity. So why was this man waiting for him? He must have known that this was Riley's only escape route, but to know that he had to either be the person who hacked him and thrown him into this mess in the first place, or worked with whoever did.

"I'd prefer to speak face to face if you'd be so kind."

Riley opened his eyes. He was still facing the exit. Turning around slowly, he was met with the silhouette of a man sitting in a dark-colored lounge chair to the right of the doorway. The darkness shrouded his face from view. From what he could make out, Riley guessed that the man was around 6'1" with a medium build. His left leg was propped up on his right knee and judging from the way his polished black shoe reflected to moonlight cutting along his stomach and legs, he wore an equally expensive suit. A glint to his left caught Riley's attention. The gun was held in the man's right hand, his arm laying idly on the armrest. The barrel was aimed directly at Riley's chest.

"Much better. Now have a seat Mr. Poole, we have much to discuss." The stranger's voice, occasionally showing signs of a faint English accent, held a certain tone. Not exactly snide, but it was close and Riley was instantly annoyed.

"I think I'll stand," Riley replied calmly. Leaning against the nearby countertop, he channeled every action movie he could think of and tried his best to look completely unintimidated by the situation. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a little short on time so can we make this quick?" Though he couldn't see it, Riley could practically feel the sinister smile spread across the man's face.

"Ah yes. Well, my associate has tampered with the signals and radio frequencies around the building. Law enforcement will be a little late but, I'll make this as brief as I possibly can. I am here to warn you to stay away from matters that are none of your concern."

"The hijacking attempts," Riley stated, not missing a beat. "Those were all you're doing."

"Not directly. I hired a group of men to do my, you could say, dirty work. I admit that was my mistake. Those idiots almost ruined me! Good help is so hard to come by these days," he sighed. "To be truthful, I had considered enlisting you and your friends for the job. I mean with your reputation, who wouldn't? But after the second failure I came to a conclusion. I have to be the one do this. What is the saying? If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself."

"Why would you go to so much trouble?"

"I'm simply taking what's rightful mine," the man hissed, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"So, why are you here? You risked getting caught. There has to be a reason," Riley asked.

"I guess you could say that you've piqued my interest, Mr. Poole." And just like that, he was back to the same conservative attitude as before, as if he had not a care in the world. "I've heard rumors of Benjamin Gates. How he seems to have a knack for finding lost treasures and forgotten artifacts. His ability to decipher messages left behind by those of the past. There is even talk of his blonde girlfriend. 'Smoking hot' is the term they used to describe her, I believe. A real brain from what I understand. Then, there's you; the piece that doesn't fit, the outlier. You see, I'm the type of person who demands a certain amount of order. I like to see everything come together." He leaned forward slightly. "Now you Riley, you confuse me. It is alright if I call you Riley, isn't it?"

Riley didn't answer. _What's he getting at?_

"Oh! It would seem I've gotten ahead of myself. Where are my manners?" The man leaned forward even more, extending his hand. The stream of dim moonlight that seeped in from the window to Riley's right illuminated his face. The man had a clean shaven head and face split by a devilish smile. A long, faded scar ran down the side of his face, trailing from his left temple down to his chin. _Knife wound _Riley guessed. What immediately caught his attention was the man's tattoo. There was a small jet black scorpion encircling the outer edge of his right eye. "I'm Masson Scott."

Not really seeing any other option, Riley pushed himself off the counter and moved forward to shake Masson's hand. He winced inwardly as his sleeve fell back and revealed another tattoo. The head of a snake peeked out. _This guy just screams poisonous doesn't he?_ Moving back, Riley hopped up onto the surface of the countertop and waited for Masson to make the next move.

"As I was saying, I believe that everything should have a place, a purpose. Tell me Riley, what is your role in all of this?"

Riley stared at him for a moment. Seeing that the question wasn't rhetorical, Riley briefly explained what he did to ensure that he and his friends didn't end up in a jail cell. It was all pretty simple. He got Ben and Abigail in, took down security, got them out, put everything back, went home, and depending on the time either went straight to bed or had his brain melted with Ben and Abigail's historical rambling and old married couple wourthy bickering. All the while, Masson listened to him calmly; his face neutral, giving nothing away.

When Riley was finished, Masson raised his eyebrows. "I understand why you would come to that conclusion, but a certain rumor has made me see you in a new, albeit quizzical light. You see, you are not just a puzzle piece that doesn't fit, you are an extra piece. With these new facts, I have drawn the conclusion that your significance is invalid. You aren't a missing peace, there is simply no room for you."

Riley narrowed his eyes. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"I overheard a certain rumor. Apparently, Benjamin Gates infiltrated the White House with the help of his partner Abigail Chase whose seductive looks paved their way; even setting foot in the Oval Office. Of course no one could prove it, the man in question not willing nor stupid enough to step forward. So the story is now nothing more than a that, a story. I, on the other hand, know that they are more than capable of pulling off such a feat. And now I am left with a few questions. The first of which is quite simple. Where were you, Riley?" Not waiting for the man to answer, Masson continued. "I'll admit that your skills can be convenient in some instances, but they aren't really needed, now are they? For example, tonight. Aside from the fact that my associate bypassed your efforts, you did a pretty good job disabling the security system and granting your companions access to the basement, but it wasn't necessary. Think about it Riley. Young Abigail could have just strutted into the security office and gone with the same act she used at the White House; showing off her body as a distraction while Mr. Gates slipped past undetected. Your assistance wasn't needed then and it isn't needed now.

"My second question is more hypothetical. Say that instead of technical support, you served the same purpose as your friends; a more hands on method. Would you be able to handle, not only the responsibilities, but yourself? It must be very frustrating for those two, especially Benjamin. Having to constantly look over his shoulder to make sure you haven't caused any trouble. I don't know how he does it! You see, my colleague has a very lethal set of skills that insures me that no one will get the jump on him. On the off chance that someone does, they certainty won't be the one walking away. Even Abigail is capable of taking care of herself to a certain extent. Granted she could be more equipped to handle curtain situations, she somehow manages. This has made me realize another thing about you. You're dangerous Riley. One day you will get Mr. Gates killed."

Riley was speechless. The venom from Masson's words stung. Even worse, they held a good amount of truth. Riley _had_ gotten Ben and Abigail to safety, but it was his inefficiency to keep them undetected that had put them in danger in the first place. On more than one occasion Ben had come to his rescue and always had his back, but did Riley have his in return? It was Masson's last statement that made his heart stop, put ice in his veins. Ben was Riley's best friend. He had seen something in Riley that no one else did. He would do anything for Riley, even at the risk of his own life. Riley knew all of this, but when Masson threw it in his face in such a blunt manner, it made him feel sick.

"Well, it would seem we are all out of time." Masson stated. Riley was so immersed in his musings that he didn't notice the sound of voices coming from further up the hall.

Masson stood and crossed the room as Riley slowly jumped down from the countertop. He then stopped short, placed a heavy hand on Riley's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "I'm only going to warn you once. Back off," Masson hissed. Riley couldn't hold back the wince as Masson's grip tightened painfully. Dropping his hand, the man grinned; the glint in his eyes at odds with the gaze of the snake on his wrist. Then he continued towards the exit and pausing in the doorway. Masson didn't turn around. "Although, I'm fairly cetain that our paths will cross again," he chuckled.

Riley stood frozen, the click of the door his only indication of Masson's departure. The voices in the hall grew louder.

_Riley..._

Ben's voice echoed in Riley's head, reminding him of his friends that were waiting outside. He had to go. He couldn't get caught and dragged off to jail after coming this far. Riley forced himself to move. If not for himself, then for Ben and Abigail. He had a job to do.

Quickly gathering his bag from the trashcan, Riley rushed out the backdoor.

* * *

"That's it! I'm going in to find him," Ben exclaimed, reaching to unbuckle his seatbelt.

He and Abigail sat in the car, parked down the block from the museum. They had front row seats as police cars came racing down the street and skidded to a halt in front of the building. The two watched nervously as several officers made their way up the front steps and in through the front doors.

"Wait," Abigail said as she reached forward to stop him. "Then we'll all be split up. Just give it another few minutes. If he's not out here by then, we'll both go."

Ben sat back with a sigh. He knew Abigail was right. If he ran back in half-cocked, he would be putting their entire mission in jeopardy. However, it did nothing to ease his worry. It had been over ten minutes since he had last spoken to Riley. _What if he got caught? _He was not leaving his best friend behind.

Ben looked down at his watch. "Times up. Let's g-"

The driver's side door burst open and Riley scrambled into the car.

"It's about time! We were just about to drive off without you," Abigail laughed. Riley stilled, his body tense. She frowned, but before she could call him on it Riley tossed his bag back and started the car. With no snide comment or snarky remark he pulled out onto the street.

Ben had noticed the odd behavior too. "You alright Riley?"

"Just fine," he answered stiffly. "Let's get out of here."

Ben's brow furrowed in concern and he turned to meet Abigail's gaze. It mirrored his own, but neither of them inquired further, both missing the look on their friends face. Riley's knuckles turned white as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. His eyes suddenly ablaze with determination. _Scott doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know me! I'll prove that arrogant bastard wrong. Just you wait! _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gravel crunched as the tires slowed to a stop in front of the Gates mansion.

The ride home had been an awkward one to say the least. Riley had been uncharacteristically quiet as he kept his eyes glued to the road. Abigail and Ben shot each other anxious glances, but made no comment. It strangely felt like they were walking on egg shells. However, as they drove further and further away from the museum, the tension in Riley's shoulders eased and soon he was back to making wise remarks and cracking jokes. Ben wasn't fooled though. As Riley and Abigail hurled good-natured banter back and forth, he could tell that his friend's laughter was somewhat strained. Even his smile, usually happy and carefree, seemed somewhat forced. Ben made a mental note to pull Riley aside and have a talk with him the next chance he had.

Ben and Abigail both exited the car, bags in hand. After their little adventure at Mt. Rushmore, the two of them decided to give their relationship another chance. For the life of him, Riley couldn't understand it. Was he the only one who remembered that both of them had been willing to sacrifice the other for the sake of an old piece of paper? In his opinion, that should have been a pretty big sign that commitment was out of the question. Then again, if anyone could make it work Riley knew it was Ben.

"Why don't you spend the night with us, Riley?" Abigail asked. "We could use the extra brain power."

Something flashed through Riley's eyes. However, before Ben could make out exactly what it was, Riley plastered a smile on his face. "Sorry guys, but as much as I would _love_ to spend the night going through some other guy's diary, I'll have to pass. Believe it or not, I do have a life you know. Said life includes, but is not limited to, catching up on the," he looked down at his watch, " four hours of sleep I have left."

"Come on, Riley. These men spent months out in the wild with no technology. That means no GPS, no computer, no video games, nothing. You could really learn something!" Abigail joked.

"I'll tell you what," he said after a moments consideration. "I'm pretty sure I have a brochure from the museum around here somewhere. I'll read that and get back to you." Not giving either of them a chance to reply, he threw the car back into drive and sped off.

Abigail put her hands on her hips and looked like she was going to say something, but simply shrugged before turning and making her way inside.

Ben stayed behind a moment longer, staring past the cloud of dust left behind and into the night where his friend's tail lights had disappeared. He continued to replay the flash of emotion Riley had tried so desperately to cover up. In that split second Riley looked slightly haunted, tortured even. The moment Riley had slid into the driver's seat, Ben knew something was wrong. For some reason, Ben felt as if a rift had grown between them. Riley was keeping something from him, he just didn't know what. Why couldn't Riley trust him? They had trusted each other for years. What had changed? Heart twisting, Ben suddenly felt very lonely.

With a sigh Ben turned and followed Abigail into the mansion. He really wished that Riley had stayed.

* * *

The trip home was a blur. Before he knew it, Riley pulled into his parking space and shut off the engine. Getting out, Riley stumbled, feeling as if he had hit a wall. His body felt like it was made of lead. Shuffling up to the second floor of his apartment complex, he fished out his keys, unlocked the door, and shouldered it open. The dark, arid room that welcomed him was nothing new. It wasn't like there was ever anyone waiting for him.

Not even bothering to turn on a light, Riley made a beeline for his room. Throwing his gear in the corner and his keys onto his bedside table, he quickly changed and flopped down onto his mattress. A cold draft blew in from his open window, but Riley was too tired to get up and close it. Instead, he wrapped himself up in his blankets and stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take him.

After several minutes of silence, Riley shouted in frustration and threw his pillow at the far wall. "Damn it!" He turned onto his side and curled into a tight ball, head grasped in his hands. He was exhausted, but every time he closed his eyes all he could see was that arrogant smirk, that little scorpion, and that poisonous snake. All he could hear was Masson's pointed jeers as he took every one of Riley's flaws and threw it in his face. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget that this night had ever happened. He had somehow gotten it all under control on the way to drop Ben and Abigail off. He had all his emotion in check. That was until Abigail had asked him to spend the night with them. Riley almost lost it. Masson's face flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help the wave insecurity that followed. What would he be able to do? There was no hacking involved, no technological aspect he could work. Surely they wouldn't need his input, and he sure as hell wasn't going to sit in the corner doing nothing. Riley really hoped he hadn't let any of that slip through the cracks, before driving off.

Seeing as he wasn't going to be getting any sleep any time soon, Riley rolled out of bed, gathered his pillow and a blanket, and moved to the living room. Stretching himself out on the couch, he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. After spending the next ten minutes flipping through channels, Riley found nothing to watch. Turing on his PS3, he popped in Call of Duty.

Riley sighed as he won his fifth round in a row. Maybe he should have taken Abigail up on her offer. Riley snorted bitterly as he pictured Ben and Abigail going through the journal, tossing theories and possibilities back and forth while Riley was left to bring them coffee and water. He shut down the system, and stared out his window as he made his way back to his bedroom. The sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon.

As Riley turned onto his stomach in one last attempt at sleep, one final thought occurred to him. Maybe he wouldn't have been of much help, but it would have been far better than wondering tiredly around his apartment. _It sure would have been a lot less lonely_ Riley thought somberly as he finally slipped into a restless sleep.

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	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Sorry about the wait. I had a little trouble with this chapter. I hope it isn't too bad :P Really quick, I want to let you know that this is NOT slash. If that's what you were looking or hoping for, sorry :( I hope you will stick around anyway to see what happens. On a lighter note, I want to give a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to comment! It really helps me write more and update faster!

Chapter 7

A hazy mist engulfed the bathroom as scolding water cascaded down his back. Riley sighed with pleasure. His body melted as the last of his drowsiness was seemingly washed down the drain. Closing his eyes, Riley felt the dark circles beneath them be erased as he turned and let the water splash down over his face. He didn't have time to enjoy the relief though. Reminding himself he had somewhere to be, Riley quickly washed up and hopped out.

Throwing on a black T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans, Riley grabbed his towel, slung it loosely over his shoulders and walked back into the humid room to brush his teeth. The mirror was still foggy, but he could see himself in the patches that had begun to clear.

As he finished, he placed both hands on opposite sides of the sink and let his head hang for a moment, towel draped over his still dripping hair. Looking up, Riley's eyes were drawn to the faint scar that ran down the tail of his left eyebrow. It was barely visible, and no one noticed it unless they were really looking. Raising his hand, Riley's fingers gently traced its smooth surface as his mind drifted back to one of his first adventures with Ben.

**FLASHBACK**

_Laying a hand against the nearby brick wall, Riley struggled to catch his breath. The layer of sweat covering his brow and flushed cheeks turned sliver in the pale moonlight. Heat coursed through his body, his temperature rising with each passing minute. Why was he so hot?! Thinking back to that morning, Riley remembered waking up with a slight headache. He had stayed up all night tracking a group of poachers they were tailing, so he hadn't given it much thought, but now..._

_"Maybe I should have just stayed in bed," he muttered. It sure would have saved him the trouble of running through various side streets and alleyways after stealing back a collection of ancient jewels, but then Ben would have had to face the danger alone. Even though he hadn't known the man long, Riley wasn't the type of person to just sit back and let someone get hurt if there was something he could do to help._

_Beginning to feel a little lightheaded, Riley turned until his back hit the wall and slowly sank to the ground. Ben was now checking to make sure the coast was clear before they headed back to the hotel. Riley pulled his legs in close until they touched his chest and buried his face in his jeans, his knees pressing into his eye sockets as he attempted to keep the sudden wave of nausea at bay. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the world spinning around him._

_He didn't know how long he sat like that, but Riley's head snapped up at the echo of approaching footsteps. It took a few moments for his eyes to focus, but he soon recognized Ben as he came jogging towards him. _

_"Okay looks like we're good to go..." Ben started as Riley pushed himself to his feet. He swayed slightly as the world tilted. "You alright, kid?"_

_Riley waved him off dismissively, concentrating hard until his vision returned to normal. He was seeing double, perfect. _

_"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Let's g-" he stopped as everything finally settled and fell into place. A man stood in the entrance of the alley, nothing more than a silhouette cloaked in the darkness of the poorly lit space. Riley's eyes were glued to his hand as he raised it, cocked the SIG, and took aim, his finger inching towards the trigger._

_Oh god._

_BAM! _

* * *

_He was floating. Waves of darkness lapped at the edges of his mind, gentle but persistent as they threatened to pull him under. Riley hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, the silence mysteriously comforting. He could stay like this forever._

_Riley?_

_He stirred. The voice sounded so familiar, but he was too tired to think any further and decided to ignore it._

_Riley!_

_His ears perked as a sense of urgency suddenly tugged at the corners of his mind. Riley flinched. The voice was closer this time, but with it came a heatwave. As he tried to shrink back into the cool depths of unconsciousness, Riley wondered why whoever it was, wouldn't just leave him alone. Wait. He knew that voice...Ben! Why did Ben sound so concerned? Was he in trouble? The heat intensified as he remembered. The stolen gems. The alley. The gun. _

_His left temple exploded in pain._

_RILEY!_

_Eyes snapping open, Riley jerked upwards. He didn't make it far before a set of steady hands caught him by the shoulders. Looking around, Riley realized that he was now laying on the cool pavement. Riley groaned inwardly. He passed out. Smooth._

_Ben's face moved into his line of vision, features laced with concern. "You with me, kid?" _

_Riley nodded. He couldn't seem to find the words to answer. His tongue was like sandpaper and his body was once again radiating heat. Ben was crouched by his side and holding something against his left temple. Riley winced as he applied pressure. _

_"What happened?" Riley groaned as he struggled to maintain what was left of his dignity._

_"You don't remember?" Ben asked, eyeing him warily as he removed what looked like a rag from his head._

_Raising a hand to the still throbbing area, Riley tried not to freak out when he drew it away and found blood on his finger tips. That can't be good. "Uh...I remember we stole back those gems and you were checking our escape route. Then I saw a guy with a gun." He paused to take a look around. "Where'd he go?"_

_"He ran. The bullet just grazed you and he probably thought he killed us." Suddenly, Ben's eyes drained of all worry and burned with anger. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" he demanded._

_Riley blinked. This was definitely not where he thought this conversation was going. Considering the fact that he had just collapsed and was basically a portable space heater now, if Ben hadn't noticed then they would have had a problem. But he hadn't expected him to care. _

_Recovering from his surprise, Riley shrugged. "It wasn't that bad," he muttered as he struggled to his feet. "It was just a headache." _

_"Well, it looks like a lot more than a headache now, doesn't it? Even if it was, it doesn't matter," Ben argued. "I need to know you're up to whatever we need to get done and if you're not, you need to let me know. Your safety is my number one priority. You can't keep these things from me." _

_Riley was tempted to point out that the way they spent their free time was not exactly safe to begin with, but he could see what he meant. This line of work was built on one thing. Trust. And for some reason or another, Riley found that strangely easy to comply with when it came to working with Ben. _

_"Alright, look I'm sorry," he sighed. "It really wasn't that bad. Well, at least up until a little while ago. I didn't mean anything by it." _

_"Yeah, I know." Ben nodded as he held out his hand. "Just don't do it again."_

_Riley took it and they shook hands in agreement. He was startled when instead of letting go, Ben drew Riley's arm over his shoulders and took on half of his weight. _

_"Now let's get you to bed" Ben grunted. "You look like hell." _

**END FLASHBACK**

Riley groaned, marched into his room, and threw his towel onto his bed. His hair was somewhat dry and as he looked at his phone, he saw he had lost about ten minutes. Plopping down on the edge, he let his head fall into his hands. He rarely ever kept anything from Ben. Now the guilt was practically driving a stake through his conscience.

_You can't keep these things from me._

Resigned, Riley stood and walked towards his front door, snatching up his keys on the way.

He needed to tell Ben the truth.

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